[Motor]

funklab, on Nov 14 2007, 08:44 PM, said:

Well I will throw mine into the mix, its not too embarasing.

About three months ago, I decided I had nothing better to do, so I decided to sell all my worldly belongings and hop on my motorcycle to ride to south america (from Charlotte, NC USA). Well about 9400 miles and two months into my trip I had been thru most of the USA and some of Canada, so I decided it was time to go to mexico. The day before I crossed the border, I was riding with another guy in southern california, and he took me out in the sand. It was an incredibly fun day, until I was riding on a sand dune (picture sahara type sand, nothing but sand) which was nice and level, until it disappeared from underneath me (the ambulance guy called it a razor back dune). Anyway, I dropped about 20 feet and landed on the bike, still riding it, but my legs immediately went numb. I rode another 50 feet, slowed down and.... fell onto my left side (nothing else you can do with no legs).

An ambulance ride, helicopter ride, morphine, and rediculously long MRI and Cat scans on an incredibly uncomfortable backboard later the docs tell me I got a T11 burst fracture. So I get to have my stomach pumped, and no food for 5 days till the surgery. Fused T9-L1 with some bars and bolts.

Right now I am typing this on my laptop in rehab at Shepherd Center in Atlanta (which I highly recommend, I think they are in the top 3 spinal rehabs in the country, and they would be hard to beat).

josh

Hi Josh,

Thanks for reading my story. They all suck in reality but hang in there. It gets worse before it gets better. You can do it just focus. I had my accident at 42 and am now riding again. Any questions or coments you have please look me up!

Stay Well and Work Hard!

Peace!

Richie aka MOTOR

[Erin]

I became a para T6- T7 when I became pregnant with our 2nd child. I thought the baby was laing on a nerve. Because I didn't have much feeling in my legs. Then I didn't think very much about it and then I thought after the baby was born that it would go away but it didn't. The doctor told me at the 6 wk check up that I could have MS. Not good news. So he ordered a MRI. From that MRI they found a tumbor on my spinal cord. So my doctor referred me to a neroligist. And I had surgery the next day.Needless to say I walked in and wheeled out. I was in rehabilitation for 8 wks. Doctor told me that the spinal cord was brused after they took the tumer off my spinal cord. It wil take time to heal. Its been 8 years this September.And it still hasn't healed. I start beliving that it will never heal. All I can do is belive in the Lord. He is with me each and every day.. If I didn't have him on my side I don't know what kind of mess I'd be in. Anyway that is my story. Erin..

[Motor]

Erin, on Nov 14 2007, 11:09 PM, said:

I became a para T6- T7 when I became pregnant with our 2nd child. I thought the baby was laing on a nerve. Because I didn't have much feeling in my legs. Then I didn't think very much about it and then I thought after the baby was born that it would go away but it didn't. The doctor told me at the 6 wk check up that I could have MS. Not good news. So he ordered a MRI. From that MRI they found a tumbor on my spinal cord. So my doctor referred me to a neroligist. And I had surgery the next day.Needless to say I walked in and wheeled out. I was in rehabilitation for 8 wks. Doctor told me that the spinal cord was brused after they took the tumer off my spinal cord. It wil take time to heal. Its been 8 years this September.And it still hasn't healed. I start beliving that it will never heal. All I can do is belive in the Lord. He is with me each and every day.. If I didn't have him on my side I don't know what kind of mess I'd be in. Anyway that is my story. Erin..

Hi Erin,

I'm Richie and have been a para for 3 yrs. Hang in there. There is life in a chair! Be well and work hard!

Keep in touch..
sincerely,

Richie

[rhyang]

Captain Pike, on Apr 9 2007, 03:57 PM, said:

[...] It had been a busy day. I had just finished the taxes and we had left town to meet a fellow in Waterville. Somehow or other, I had gotten myself an interview, or maybe audition is the right word, to read a book for an audiotape. This would mean that if I got the job, then it would be my voice that would be talking on a book on tape. We had met a friend for dinner further south and then gone to a Jungian seminar at Bowdoin College. I didn't want to spend the money to stay in a hotel even though it was getting late -- we didn't get onto I-95 until almost midnight. It was a good thing that someone had been following us when my girlfriend tried to avoid hitting a huge skunk that had waddled out in front of us. We were both sober, weren't speeding nor searching for something on the floor of the car, we simply lost control and got into the soft shoulder, slid for a while and then tumbled, diagonally, end over end. I don't remember the skunk or the accident really, except for the very end, as the violent tumbling finally came to an end. The person that had been following us must have called 911 and I think they stopped to help. Imagine what would be like to be trapped inside a car beside your crushed, dead boyfriend. It was the first time that I can remember that it seemed like I did the right thing at the right time. "I can't breathe. I'm all done. I love you.", I was like John Wayne. It was more of a surprise than anything else. I don't remember being scared, it was startling really to realize "oh, this is how I'm going to die". There was no negotiating it. Then everything just went black. Imagine what she must've gone through.
[...]

My accident 3 months ago was similar in some ways. I was driving from the SF bay area up to Yosemite, but had gotten a late start of ~8pm because of some obligations. I wanted to reach the eastern side of the park by 1am, go to sleep and get up early to go climbing. The car had a lot of gear in it. I'd been planning to be up there for about 3 days.

Around 11:30pm I'd had my Starbucks and set out on a 4-lane section of 120/108 with two lanes in each direction. I was cruising along at a decent clip, but it wouldn't be considered excessive speed during the day.

Suddenly I saw a deer. I swerved. Hard. I knew by the way the car was responding that I'd lost control. I could feel the car heading up an embankment. It probably rolled over at least once.

When I came to I was bleeding from a head laceration and couldn't move my left arm or leg. I was lucky that someone behind me was an EMT. She somehow got in my car and stabilized my head & neck, told me not to move. The car was totalled and the door had to be cut off - she probably saved my life.

I broke c1 and had c5-7 fused with rod / screws /plate & bone grafts from the hip area. I'm still in a halo, but am seeing my neurosurgeon on Wednesday with any luck to see if I can get out of this thing soon

I spent about 2 weeks in a hospital in Modesto, California where the neuro did the 2 operations, and then 5 weeks in a spinal cord injury rehab unit near my home (Santa Clara Valley Medical Center). I was diagnosed with incomplete tetraplegia, level C4, asia D. They had a pretty intensive program, and I can't thank the doctors, therapists, etc. enough.

But I'm lucky ... after the wheelchair, AFO, crutches, cane, etc. I can walk for pretty decent distances now without any of it (4 miles in 75 minutes this afternoon). I'm doing a lot of home PT and go to a community center gym with a program for disabled people. Eventually I'm hoping to get back into the outdoor activities I engaged in before my accident, inshallah. I have great supportive friends and a career that allows me to work out of my home.

I've been going to an SCI peer support group and have found it really helpful. I feel like such a wimp sometimes, and it's an inspiration to see all these people who have made their lives work. Some of them go wheelchair skiing, another is a wheelchair skateboarder

btw Is your username a reference to the Star Trek episode 'The Cage' ? I'm such a geek

[Erin]

Motor, on Nov 14 2007, 11:43 PM, said:

Erin, on Nov 14 2007, 11:09 PM, said:

I became a para T6- T7 when I became pregnant with our 2nd child. I thought the baby was laing on a nerve. Because I didn't have much feeling in my legs. Then I didn't think very much about it and then I thought after the baby was born that it would go away but it didn't. The doctor told me at the 6 wk check up that I could have MS. Not good news. So he ordered a MRI. From that MRI they found a tumbor on my spinal cord. So my doctor referred me to a neroligist. And I had surgery the next day.Needless to say I walked in and wheeled out. I was in rehabilitation for 8 wks. Doctor told me that the spinal cord was brused after they took the tumer off my spinal cord. It wil take time to heal. Its been 8 years this September.And it still hasn't healed. I start beliving that it will never heal. All I can do is belive in the Lord. He is with me each and every day.. If I didn't have him on my side I don't know what kind of mess I'd be in. Anyway that is my story. Erin..

Hi Erin,

I'm Richie and have been a para for 3 yrs. Hang in there. There is life in a chair! Be well and work hard!

Keep in touch..
sincerely,

Richie

Thanks Rich. Glad to here from someone. Erin..

[Ches]

HAHAH@ Kev-O's "And I can't fly" .... Ya think?

Maybe if you had been wearing a cape.

[Kev-O]

Ches, on Nov 18 2007, 02:28 AM, said:

HAHAH@ Kev-O's "And I can't fly" .... Ya think?

Maybe if you had been wearing a cape.

i know i had my cape on all day to but for some reason i took it off when i got in the car.

[Kev-O]

When i was in rehab there was a middle eastern guy there that was injured in the war. He was from Iraq but fighting with Americans againste the dirt bags over there. One night when he was going home the car he was in was ambushed an he was shot 12 times by an AK-47. 12 times! He was really cool. The US troops in Iraq called him Rambo.

[Rolling Thunder]

Hi, My story is a little different. I was born with a spinal cord injury. I am now 56 years old. I have feeling in both legs but not movement. The doctors at Children's Hospital in LA were never able to find the cause to the injury. In 1951 they didn't have the tech stuff they do now and now at this age I don't care.

[Ches]

Rolling Thunder,.. that's nuts! Is it solely the movement in your legs that has been affected by the SCI? Did it happen at the time of birth? Or is it like a malformity of some sort? Genetic?

Sorry I'm such a snoop at times....

This post has been edited by Ches: 25 November 2007 - 05:14 AM

[Sheila]

I've written down Tom's and my story on my blog.

[Rolling Thunder]

Ches,

Yes, only the movement of my legs are effected. I can feel in both legs and move my toes a little. The doctors at the time were very baffled, and still are

[Tired of hurting]

phillybea, on Oct 11 2005, 12:29 PM, said:

Hello Everyone,

I came across this site as I was looking for information on spinal cord injuries and I was truly amazed by the courage and honesty you guys show. I was looking for information in the hopes of trying to help my father, who until 3 months ago was a very healthy, active 78 y.o. man. He went into the hospital for hip surgery and came out paralyzed. Apparently, they discovered a malignant melanoma in his spinal cord which as a result let him paralyzed.

He went through 2 months of rehab and on his second day home, ended up popping his hips out and was rushed back to the hospital again, where they performed a total hip replacement.

He has been home for over 1 week now, but he just seems to be getting depressed and I am truly worried about him. He won't get dressed (just wants to stay in his hospital gown) and this is making it very difficult for him to try and transfer himself. It's almost like he has given up on even trying to do anything for himself. I know he was originally worried about his hips popping out when he would transfer himself and I totally understand that, but he now has "a brand new set of hips" and he still does not seem interested in helping himself.

Everyone in our family is trying to reassure him that things will get better once he gets into a routine (and we as a family are also trying to reassure ourselves that things will get better) and that we are all here to help with whatever he needs (both mentally and physically), but I sure could use any advice.

Kristee, you sound like you really have your head screwed on straight! I have a son the same age as you and I could see him doing exactly the same thing. He lives on the 3rd floor apartment at his university.

[Illinois Boy]

Rolling Thunder was the name of my band that I played lead guitar in before my accident........ Brings back good old memories.....
Well it was June 8, 1982 and had been storming in my area for days on end...... I had an Associates Degree in Electronics and was working as an electrician at the time. The morning of my wreck I remember watching this wicked Thunderstorm with my wife and 2 year old son and one year old daughter. Lightning struck two trees around our lake that morning. Anyway the ground everywhere around here was saturated and flooding. It was about 20 after 10 that night when I left for work (for some reason my wife begged me to stay home that night) but I had plans to take off the following Sunday to play a party with my band......

The night was calm, not a cloud in the sky. I kissed my wife, threw my lunch bucket in the passenger seat of my British MG Miget connvertible and headed for work. About five miles from my house as I was approaching a bridge, a gigantic oak tree fell in front of the bridge. I was going about 55mph and imedeatly hit the brakes (it's amasing the ideas that went threw my head in those split seconds.) should I drive off the right or left down a twenty foot embankment. I ended up jamming the car in 1st gear to try and stop it..... I was still heading for the tree.... Last thing I remember was diving down to the passenger seat while aiming the car towards the highest part of the tree.

When I came to my senses, I was all alone, car still running, roof of the car was sheard off. I kept trying to sit up, but couldn't.... I noticed I couldn't hardly breathe either.... As I gradulally came more aound, I realized I had been smoking a cigarrette before I hit the tree.... I kept thinking the car was going to catch fire and I couldn't move to get out..... Anyway I was also covered with millions of pieces of glass, as the MG Miget didn't have safety glass. Finally the firetrucks and ambulance was able to spot my headlights in the middle of the tree....

Well the rest is old history, always thinking I should of stayed home!!!!!!!!! What's weird is, many times playing with my band I finished off a fifth of Rum & Coke and don't even remember driving home? That night I was drinking orange koolaid.......

I sure miss playing my 57 Stratocastor, don't even want to see it. Well I think that's the last time I'll tell this story, as it's 27 years old......... And I'm tired of telling it......... And I hate to type.......

Jim

[nomis]

It's a good story to tell, Jim, but I understand when you say you're tired of telling it. That brings a smile to me.
I've decided now the quickest, simplest way to get around the 'what happened' thing is to blurt out a short version of the now automated response and finish with a switch in the conversation like asking them something personal or at least distracting. (On here I'll make exceptions.)

[Illinois Boy]

nomis, on Nov 29 2007, 10:51 PM, said:

It's a good story to tell, Jim, but I understand when you say you're tired of telling it. That brings a smile to me.
I've decided now the quickest, simplest way to get around the 'what happened' thing is to blurt out a short version of the now automated response and finish with a switch in the conversation like asking them something personal or at least distracting. (On here I'll make exceptions.)

Thanks, nomis......... I too enjoy breaking up the monopoly, like the God post........

Take your nick, reverse the letters - you have my last name..... Weird

Jim

[Motor]

Tired of hurting, on Nov 29 2007, 08:56 PM, said:

phillybea, on Oct 11 2005, 12:29 PM, said:

Hello Everyone,

I came across this site as I was looking for information on spinal cord injuries and I was truly amazed by the courage and honesty you guys show. I was looking for information in the hopes of trying to help my father, who until 3 months ago was a very healthy, active 78 y.o. man. He went into the hospital for hip surgery and came out paralyzed. Apparently, they discovered a malignant melanoma in his spinal cord which as a result let him paralyzed.

He went through 2 months of rehab and on his second day home, ended up popping his hips out and was rushed back to the hospital again, where they performed a total hip replacement.

He has been home for over 1 week now, but he just seems to be getting depressed and I am truly worried about him. He won't get dressed (just wants to stay in his hospital gown) and this is making it very difficult for him to try and transfer himself. It's almost like he has given up on even trying to do anything for himself. I know he was originally worried about his hips popping out when he would transfer himself and I totally understand that, but he now has "a brand new set of hips" and he still does not seem interested in helping himself.

Everyone in our family is trying to reassure him that things will get better once he gets into a routine (and we as a family are also trying to reassure ourselves that things will get better) and that we are all here to help with whatever he needs (both mentally and physically), but I sure could use any advice.

Kristee, you sound like you really have your head screwed on straight! I have a son the same age as you and I could see him doing exactly the same thing. He lives on the 3rd floor apartment at his university.

Hi,
My name is Richie and I feel for you. As per my story my injury touched everyone around me not just me. It was hell and all I can say is that for me it got worse before it got better. I was also very depressed, I was 42 and lost all my hobbies. All sports and riding my motorcycle...it sucked. It took an attempted suicide for me to finally get my act together. I was killing everyone around me. Your dad needs to find a loacal spinal cord group for himself and the family. He needs to know there is life in a chair!! You guys are by far not alone. Its a new world, caths, bowel and bladder programs, uti's and the list goes on. If I can answer any questions feel free. I've been in a chair 3 years and am now pretty much living life. I ride a motorcycle (trike) and still go to physical therapy. Keep pushing him and get him involved with other SCI patients. As a family you need to speak with other care givers. Good Luck! God Bless! and remember EVERY DAY ABOVE GROUND IS A GOOD ONE!!! Sincerely,

Richie aka "Motor"

[Tired of hurting]

funklab, on Nov 14 2007, 07:44 PM, said:

Well I will throw mine into the mix, its not too embarasing.

About three months ago, I decided I had nothing better to do, so I decided to sell all my worldly belongings and hop on my motorcycle to ride to south america (from Charlotte, NC USA). Well about 9400 miles and two months into my trip I had been thru most of the USA and some of Canada, so I decided it was time to go to mexico. The day before I crossed the border, I was riding with another guy in southern california, and he took me out in the sand. It was an incredibly fun day, until I was riding on a sand dune (picture sahara type sand, nothing but sand) which was nice and level, until it disappeared from underneath me (the ambulance guy called it a razor back dune). Anyway, I dropped about 20 feet and landed on the bike, still riding it, but my legs immediately went numb. I rode another 50 feet, slowed down and.... fell onto my left side (nothing else you can do with no legs).

An ambulance ride, helicopter ride, morphine, and rediculously long MRI and Cat scans on an incredibly uncomfortable backboard later the docs tell me I got a T11 burst fracture. So I get to have my stomach pumped, and no food for 5 days till the surgery. Fused T9-L1 with some bars and bolts.

Right now I am typing this on my laptop in rehab at Shepherd Center in Atlanta (which I highly recommend, I think they are in the top 3 spinal rehabs in the country, and they would be hard to beat).

josh

I'm a rider too. At least you were doing something you loved to do! I got dragged to the ground by a Down syndrome special ed student. My injury is T 12 Just got diagnosed last month after 2 1/2 years of Hell!! Spasms are trying and hard to control.Using Catapress patches,Can you find out if there are any other spasm patches. Your Friend Lisa

[Motor]

Tired of hurting, on Dec 2 2007, 04:26 PM, said:

I'm a rider too. At least you were doing something you loved to do! I got dragged to the ground by a Down syndrome special ed student. My injury is T 12 Just got diagnosed last month after 2 1/2 years of Hell!! Spasms are trying and hard to control.Using Catapress patches,Can you find out if there are any other spasm patches. Your Friend Lisa

Lisa,
Hope your doing ok! I had an ITB pump put in my stomach to control spasms. There is tons of info on here about. Read up on it, it may be for you. I have not heard of patches to control spasms. I was on oral meds prior to pump! Any questions holla. Oh yeah I'm a T-6 incomplete para and I am riding a Harley trike. Back on the road again!
Yours truley
Richie aka Motor

[ozzie]

Hello everyone, this is my brothers story.

While replacing a transmission on a coach (bus) he started suffering neck and shoulder pain, and put himself onto light duties. When the pain didnt subside after a day or so resting, he went to visit a local chiropractor. During the consultation, he started experiancing reduced strength and numbness in his right leg. The chiropractor checked the work that he had done, and when there was no improvement, he called an ambulance and my brother was transported to the local hospitals emergency room, where over a period of half an hour the numbness and paralysis progressed to a point that he was paralysed from the nipples down.

The doctors, performed x-rays, and initially thought he had a stroke or had a blood clot in the spinal cord, or a hemorage bleeding into the spinal cord. He was started on steroids, and shipped to the capital citys spinal unit. There the did MRI Scans, and discovered he had a prolapsed disk, between c6 and c7. They operated at 3 am, to removed the disk and relieve the pressure on the spinal cord. We were advised that the spinal cord was damaged, but they wouldnt know how much until they could do a full assessment.

Unfortunatly he has had many setbacks along the way, he spent 5 weeks in intensive care, before going to the accute spinal ward. In september he was transvered to the rehabilitation unit.

He is still at the rehab centre, progressing slowly, he is currently assessed as a C8 Asia A. It is a long process, and the staff there are all teriffic, at times it seems like you take 2 steps forward and one step back.

He has accepted his injury well, stating that he cant make the injury unhappen, he just has to make the most of what he has left. He also still has his sense of humour.

It has been a learning process for myself and the rest of his family.

I thank everyone here for their stories. This is a wonderful website and the information available here helps so much. When my brother was first injured, everything was so confusing, we didnt know what to expect, what everyone was talking about, its a whole different world for him and us now.

[Tired of hurting]

ozzie, on Dec 15 2007, 04:52 AM, said:

Hello everyone, this is my brothers story.

While replacing a transmission on a coach .......

Good Morning, Sorry to hear about your brother.I'm a T 12, Just got diagnosed after 3 years of hell...Your brother has the right attiude. Wake up and be thankful for what still works.I visit a man who cannot speak or move from the chin down. Uses a pointer that wraps around his head to type on board that speaks for him. When I leave him,I'm so thankful I can use my arms and speak. When he's strong enough I would love to share what I've learned in wheelchair group.You friend Lisa

[Tired of hurting]

Kris, on Oct 6 2005, 07:55 PM, said:

Hi All

I was just wondering if anyone would like to share their spinal injury stories?

Dear Kris, I'd like to share my story with you.. I was in a P.E. class with my special ed student. He started running around out of control. He was on the floor and I went to pull him up and he twisted and dragged me to the floor. My legs froze in spasms from that moment. It is work comp. and all the Dr's said I wasn't having spasms. It was from getting a divorce becuase my husband of 29 years didn't except my injury. Said I didn't try hard enough. Well 3 years later I get diagnosed with T12 S.C.I. My whole life has been turn upside down. I try to be thankful everyday for the things that still work. Your Friend Lisa

[enigma2]

Tired of hurting, on Dec 15 2007, 08:15 AM, said:

Dear Kris, I'd like to share my story with you.. I was in a P.E. class with my special ed student. He started running around out of control. He was on the floor and I went to pull him up and he twisted and dragged me to the floor. My legs froze in spasms from that moment. It is work comp. and all the Dr's said I wasn't having spasms. It was from getting a divorce becuase my husband of 29 years didn't except my injury. Said I didn't try hard enough. Well 3 years later I get diagnosed with T12 S.C.I. My whole life has been turn upside down. I try to be thankful everyday for the things that still work. Your Friend Lisa

'Tired of hurting'

Your story could be mine except for where and how you were injured. I had a WCB claim with pain and severe leg spasms as my main complaint. This was said to be caused by my stress from the dysfunctional domestic situation I was in and my exes comments about my "f_ _ _ ing the dog" and a bid for sympathy did not help. I also heard the "you're just not trying hard enough" and felt like I had been slapped. Years and a lot of hell later I was diagnosed with L5 S1 partial paraplegia incomplete with permanent sciatica and cauda equina syndrome. Pain and leg spasms continue to be my challenges. My life has not yet returned to any regularity or normalicy.
(hurting along with you) enigma2 - "Wendy

[Tired of hurting]

Jennifer, on Oct 27 2005, 06:50 PM, said:

hi everyone
my name is jennifer im 19 years old i have a L1 Burst Fracture. On May 20th 2005 I was in a motorcycle accident I spent 3 monthes in the hospital, I also have a 11 month old son to look after well its been 5 months and im walking useing my cane
doctors say the future looks good so just remeber never to give up

Hi Jennifer. You go girl, Be thankful each day for the time you have with your son. I can use braces also. It's just makes the spasms worse to try to walk. I just built a handicapped modified Road Glide. All controls are on handle bars. Just rode on my first Toy Run this year my dream come true. I woke up after 24 days in the hospital,starting drawing it, Then began gathering the Road glide to Trike out. It was a giant challege! But I did it.. I am a Happy Girl again. I have a foster son who is Down Syndrome,He was my special ed student and his mother died of brain cancer 7 years ago. I became injured 3 years ago. I know the single parent feeling. Some mornings I wake up and say why me? I already raised 2 other children of mine, and helped raise 2 of my girl friends who died in a drunk driving accident. I had 8 months of no kids from first batch raised. Then the phone came Rorys Mom was dying he is a mute,and I'm the only person who can comunicate with him. Then I get injured,divorced,Husband didn't except my injury. Now 48 years old in a wheelchair trying to care for myself and my Downs son. Every year you'll get alittle better. Each person in my wheelchair group has gotten better each year...Find a chair group for support. First thing they told me was " You can get up and be misiable or choose to survive and make the best of it. I coach basketball,baseball for developementally disabled children. To bring smiles to thier faces when they make a basket. It warms my heart,and makes me thankful I haven't been in a chair all my life.Lisa

[Tired of hurting]

Henrik, on Oct 9 2005, 11:21 AM, said:

Hi all

I was injured 20 months ago in bus accident in Germany - i´m from Denmark. It was one of these buses where it i possible to sleep in. Unfortunately the driver also fell asleep and drove in to a truck which where standing stil due to an other accident. I was lying in front of the bus and broke my back at L1. The injury is complete.

I have been to the US two times since I was injured - think that it is very easy to get around over there. Anyone have any travell experience ? from Europe ???

Henrik

Hi Henrik, I am a T 12 a student dragged me to the ground in a P.E. class.My legs froze in spasms from that moment on. Pain and spasms are a giant problem. I also have traveled with my Down Syndrome son to Hawaii twice, to swim with the Dolphins and asked to be healed by them. Love to travel. My husband divorce me because he was embarrassed to be seen with me. Life is blessed without him. I'm free to be me,even though I'm in a chair. I try to be thankful for what still works.Your Friend Lisa

[Tired of hurting]

Quote

Lisa,
Hope your doing ok! I had an ITB pump put in my stomach to control spasms. There is tons of info on here about. Read up on it, it may be for you. I have not heard of patches to control spasms. I was on oral meds prior to pump! Any questions holla. Oh yeah I'm a T-6 incomplete para and I am riding a Harley trike. Back on the road again!
Yours truley
Richie aka Motor

Wed. had the trial for pump it was great for 2 hours. Then got me up to try trigger pain. Well short stumble, and legs were spasmed together. Asked the Dr. Could she please unhock my legs. She said she didn't use enough Baclafen. Just my luck...I want a pump I've had enough. who knowsHow long to schedule surgury. Trying merinal for spasms. Works the best yet. One problem 800 dollars a bottle.347. was the co-pay. So Merry Christmas to me! Lisa

[Tired of hurting]

Catucci, on Nov 12 2005, 11:07 AM, said:

My everybody

My husband Nico had a motorbike accident on 7th August 2005. He broke C4, C5, C6, T6, T8, 8 ribs, punctured lungs and laserated liver. He spent 2 weeks in ICU then was transferred to a Spinal Cord Injury Unit for rehab. He suffered from a pulmonery embalism the 2nd day there and was again in ICU. The Doctors told us to expect the worse, and the worse did happen twice, but he's such a fighter and he survived against all the odds.

Now, 14 weeks later he is showing remarkable progress. His SCI is at T6 so is paralised from chest down. We've been told to expect he'll be in rehab until at least Spring so we've a long way to go yet.

We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary in hospital in September and I have to say I love him soooooo much words cannot describe. He's my hero, my soulmate, the love of my life and I thank God he's still with us.

xx Cat xx

I'm so happy to hear you still love your husband. He is a lucky man,to have his soul mate at his side.This warms my heart. I lost my husband of 29 years.Didn't except injury! Said I didn't try hard enough...T 12 for 3 years Your Freind Lisa

[JOHNS421]

I've never been too worried about what people think of how I got hurt. Yeah it was my own stupid fault but when I spent those 3 months in the hospital with people who were harmed by someone else like a drunk driver crashing into them, a guy that was shot out of road rage, etc. I noticed that those people carried around a lot of anger against who had caused it. I was never really mad at myself because it was my own stupid fault. I sat on the railing of my balcony and wrapped my legs around the rails and bent all the way over backwards just to prove that I could and one of my feet slipped and I fell 4 stories. I was drinking. I have NO ONE to blame but myself and I don't care what other people think about that. I'm glad someone didn't push me over that ledge on accident or on purpose. I'm glad I don't blame anybody else but myself and I'm glad I didn't cause that kind of harm to someone else and had it not happened then I may have hurt someone else at the wild @ss rate I was going at it. I really believe that I would have been dead within a year had this not happened to me. I'm a t10/11 complete para. I don't ever drink anymore. I don't wake up hating myself anymore, I feel like I was spared for a reason. I'm actually happier than I was before. I have a hard time, don't get me wrong but I don't miss the lifestyle that I was leading. I should have grown out of it 10 years ago but instead, it just kept getting worse and if I would have lived and not had the accident I would have lived a long, miserable, alcohol consumed life. I can't imagine how happy that I would be if I were pain free (or even close) and didn't have to take so many drugs everyday. I'd give anything to be pain and drug free. And there's no doubt in my mind that I will be because I'll never give up on it. I'll find a way. If anybody has any ideas, I could sure use them. Ofcourse just like everyone else with this injury I think that neuropathic pain is the worst if not then mine definately is...that and hypersensitive skin. I'm new on here today and could really use some great advice and some good friends.

[JOHNS421]

funklab, on Nov 14 2007, 07:44 PM, said:

Right now I am typing this on my laptop in rehab at Shepherd Center in Atlanta (which I highly recommend, I think they are in the top 3 spinal rehabs in the country, and they would be hard to beat).

josh

Josh,

I was at Sheperd center too last year and today is my first day on this web site. I was living n atl when I had my accident and I just moved back to Atlanta 3 weeks ago. If you would like some company or see what it's like a year later, I'd love to come back to Shepherd and see all the friends that I made there in therapy and with nurses. Plus I've always wanted to go and be able to show and tell what it's going to be like when you get out. A lot of people at Shepherd knows what it's going to be like so listen to them and believe everything they say because it is going to be very different when you get out. I would come and see you this afternoon if you would like. I have a lot to offer and I think it would help me maybe even more than you!!!!!

[nomis]

Gidday JOHNS421
You make a good point about having no one to blame and get bitter about. I was thrown from a motorbike by a drunk speeding rider who happened to be me. It's a hard lesson but I forgive myself, too.

Re pain. I guess everyone finds their own way to cope because pain is such a personal thing. I've got no answers but I do wonder if reframing how you regard your own pain can help. I don't have chronic pain but I do have discomforts that sometimes get annoying.

The other day I squashed a finger. It was a brief reminder of just how much pain my body can generate and also how creative I can be under pressure to string together four-letter words. I guess we need that pain for safety.

But the lingering chronic pain becomes a mind game. That's why I think retraining your mind to regard it in a more acceptable way might be worth a shot.

But I understand you have big work pressures etc and that limits your opportunities to take time out to deal with pain. The work pressures probably add to your pain. Maybe medications is the answer for you but my own choice is to chase anything that avoids medications that tend to create their own problems.

This post has been edited by nomis: 16 December 2007 - 09:42 PM